Soil treatment systems for the distribution of liquid fertilizers and various other soil treatment materials having long been known and are often times combined with various other farm equipment so as to perform more than one operation at a time; for example, combining soil cultivation or tillage with the distribution of the treatment materials permits the distribution of the treatment materials in a subsurface fashion while the soil is being treated. In the typical arrangement, the soil treatment equipment is at least configured so as to provide for a motor driven vehicle having an associated storage tank, positive pressure pump means for supplying the suspension or liquid treatment materials to a distributor manifold and a plurality of conduits coupled to the manifold for distributing the treatment materials to the soil at a desired rate.
A limiting factor to such combined configurations, however, arises with respect to the rate of distribution of the liquid matter or, in other words, the amount thereof per acre. Specifically, due to the necessary slow speeds that are employed in the tillage operations, the rate of distribution of the liquid treatment materials becomes very critical and very difficult to regulate. While various attempts have been made, and which will be discussed below, to regulate the rate of distribution, such equipment has proved ineffective and/or does not provide the operator with sufficient monitoring capability, other than the actual visual inspection of the liquid distribution equipment. With the increasing costs of the treatment materials and an ever present desire to optimize yield, such systems are less than optimum and accordingly the need for the present invention.
For more information though with respect to previously known systems and apparatus, attention is directed to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,284,243; 4,202,283; and 4,024,822. Upon reference thereto, though, it is to be noted that the present invention differs in many respects and in particular with respect to the configuration of the distributor manifold and the ability to now monitor the relative distribution pressure and thereby detect leaks, obstructed orifices or conduits, etc. Further, the present invention provides for a more uniform distribution at the low speeds and over a wide range of operating pressures, such that predictable, controllable and uniform rates are achieved at each nozzle for a system having a plurality of interchangeable inlets and outlets.
Such ends are now achieved, in art, via a novel distributor manifold that employs no moving parts in its regulation, division and agitation of the treatment materials. In particular, the present manifold comprises a bottom feed chamber having a centered inlet orifice and a plurality of outlet orifices spaced thereabout on the periphery of the manifold, such that the treatment material is supplied to the chamber at a relatively high or "super-pressure." Agitation is achieved via the bottom inlet, although a baffle assembly may be used too, and operator monitoring is enabled via a transparent liquid manometer that is coupled to the chamber and which indicates the internal pressure and variations thereof (e.g. plugged outlets). Further, the present invention provides an associated vent mechanism for each outlet orifice so as to maintain a uniform pressure differential across each outlet orifice and thereby equal and uniform flow rates at each outlet orifice. Additionally, the venting of the manifold chamber via the manometer permits the complete draining of the chamber, should the supply flow be shut-off.
These objects, the configuration of the present apparatus and system and various other objects and advantages will, however, become more apparent upon a reading of the following description and upon reference to the following drawings. It is to be recognized, though, that the present invention is hereinafter described with respect to its presently preferred embodiment and which is not to be interpretted to the exclusion of those various other embodiments or configurations which do not depart from the spirit and scope hereof.